SITEX, THE EUROPEAN NETWORK OF TECHNICAL ......1. THE SITEX INITIATIVE SITEX stands for ‒Sustainable network for Independent Technical EXpertise of radioactive waste disposal •to

SITEX, THE EUROPEAN NETWORK OF TECHNICAL EXPERTISE ORGANISATIONS FOR

GEOLOGICAL DISPOSAL

International Conference on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, 21 – 25 Nov. 2016, Vienna, Austria

© IRSN © IRSN © IRSN

D. PELLEGRINI(a), F. BERNIER(b), V. DETILLEUX(c), G. HERIARD-DUBREUIL(d), A. NARKŪNIENĖ(e), J. MIKSOVA(f), M. ROCHER(a)

(a) IRSN, (b) FANC, (c) Bel V, (d) Mutadis, (e) LEI, (f)CV-REZ Presented by D. PELLEGRINI(a)

International Conference on the Safety of RWM, 21 – 25 Nov. 2016, Vienna, Austria Page 2

OUTLINE

1. What is the SITEX initiative ?

2. What are the current activities ? The SITEX-II project ‒ Programming of R&D ‒ Developing a joint review framework ‒ Training and tutoring for reviewing the Safety Case ‒ Interactions with civil society

3. What are the prospects ? ‒ Joint Programming ‒ Workshop with international entities ‒ SITEX network

1. THE SITEX INITIATIVE

SITEX stands for

‒ Sustainable network for Independent Technical EXpertise of radioactive waste disposal • to meet the vision of fostering at the international level a high quality and

independent expertise in the field of safety of Radioactive Waste Management, with particular focus on geological disposal initially,

• in order to support the regulatory authorities as well as the public in the perspective of RWM.

‒ The “Expertise Function” provides the technical review for notably supporting the decisions made within the regulatory function

‒ The network is expected to ensure a sustainable capability for developing and coordinating joint and harmonised activities related to the independent Expertise Function


1. THE SITEX INITIATIVE Where is it at now ?


Who participate and interact within SITEX-II?

2. THE SITEX-II PROJECT

18 organisations from 12 countries


SITEX-II

Programming of R&D

(WP1)

Developing a joint review framework

(WP2)

Training and tutoring for

reviewing the Safety Case

(WP3)

Interactions with the Civil

Society

(WP4)

Integration, dissemination & preparation

of the network

(WP5)

What are the SITEX-II key tasks and Work Packages?

2. THE SITEX-II PROJECT


2. SITEX-II SRA

Objective: to identify and prioritize the needs for competence and skills development of the Expertise Function, at the international level

Commitments: − The SRA is developed by applying a transparent methodology; − The SRA addresses the needs associated with the different states of

advancement of geological disposal (GD) programmes; − The concerns of civil society are taken into consideration.

Scope of the SRA:

‒ All the topics relevant to the Expertise Function to assess whether geological disposal facilities are developed and will be constructed, operated and closed in a safe manner.

‒ It encompasses all topics relevant to any waste type and spent fuel for which geological disposal is envisaged as a solution for its long-term management.

‒ The following type of activity are considered : • R&D activities • exchanging on practices and developing common positions • developing states of the art • knowledge transfer (e.g. training or tutoring)


Topics of the SRA: 36 Topics distributed in 7 Main Topics

1. Waste inventory and source term.

2. Transient THMBC conditions in the near-field.

3. Evolution of EBS material properties.

4. Radionuclide behaviour in disturbed EBS and HR.

5. Safety-relevant operational aspects.

6. Managing uncertainties and the safety assessment.

7. Lifecycle of a disposal programme and its safety case.

In the SRA the following information is systematically given for each main topic: • Importance of the main topic to safety • Rationale for developing joint activities • Research and/or horizontal activities of common interest

For more detailed information, see the paper from Detilleux V. et al. presented at EUROSAFE 2016.

2. SITEX-II SRA

Exchange on practices,

develop common

positions

Develop states of the

art

Transfer knowledge

(eg. training,

tutoring…)

Main Topic 1: Waste inventory and source term

#1.Uncertainty about databases and methodologies used for defining waste

inventories (including historical waste)

#2. Evolution of the waste inventory due to possible neutron activation

#3.Understanding of the release processes and speciation of the radionuclides

for different types of wastes

#4. Waste acceptance criteria

SRA Main Topics and associated issues

Research activities

(experiment and/or

modelling works)

Horizontal activities

Innovative developement relates to the introduction of holistic (complex) topics

‒ In Main Topic 7 “Lifecycle of a disposal programme and its safety case”

‒ They are the results of interactions with representatives of the Civil Society (CS)

‒ For these topics, both technical and societal aspects need to be investigated in an integrated manner, using specific interdisciplinary methodologies and involving CS participation

2. SITEX-II SRA


2. DEVELOPING A JOINT REVIEW FRAMEWORK

Common understanding on the interpretation and implementation of safety requirements and recommendations in the Safety Case (SC)

‒ Share national experiences and prospective views

‒ Issuing of “position papers” for • the Expertise Function when reviewing the national program • the Regulatory Function when elaborating own technical guides • the Implementing Function when developing the SC

‒ Basis: Safety requirements with international consensus • IAEA Safety Fundamentals and Requirements • EC Directive on SF & RW Management (2011/70/Euratom) • WENRA Safety Reference Levels (SRLs) • ICRP recommendations

Technical guide on the regulatory review of SC for geological disposal

‒ Items + or - highlighted depending on the SC development stage (conceptualization, siting, design, construction, operation, post-closure)

‒ construction of analysis grids for guiding the review at each main phases (tested for the “site investigation and selection phase”)

Optimisation of

protection

Waste acceptance

criteria

Operational issues /

post-closure safety

Programme for site

characterisation


2. TRAINING & TUTORING FOR REVIEWING THE SC

Developing and maintaining competencies ‒ A common culture of safety (exchange of experience and best practices) ‒ Awareness on key safety issues ‒ Common methods for reviewing the SC (harmonization of practices) ‒ Awareness on complexity of safety governance considering key social and ethical aspects.

Sitex Training Programme (draft)

‒ 1st year : training modules of a generalist nature, with 3 events/activities: • training course for generalist experts

implementation of a 5-day pilot course within SITEX-II. • visits to disposal facility sites and URLs

together with structured discussion session with facility staff. • participants undertaking a review of existing SC

and presentation of the outcome at a training seminar.

‒ 2nd year : focussed more on individual specialisation

• training seminars on topical issues in regulatory review and independent Expertise Function research programmes, in combination with activities of Expertise Function network.

Expression of interest are welcomed!


2. INTERACTION WITH CIVIL SOCIETY

Development of interactions between Expertise and Society functions ‒ Supporting engagement of civil society actors and strengthening their skills in the framework of

interaction processes ‒ Adapting culture and practices of expertise function to accommodate the active contributions of civil

society as an added value to the quality of safety, appraisal and decisions ‒ Acting in complement to WMOs where public expects an independent view on its scientific and

safety concerns and expectations, allowing to enlarge its understanding and knowledge of geological disposal

Which conditions and means for developing interactions with CS ?

SITEX-II involves NGOs and interacts with CS participants through workshops, covering 3 tasks :

1. R&D – review of the SITEX-II SRA • identification of R&D topics of high interest for CS • Inputs regarding Technical topics in terms of

• Citizen Science (science with society) networking science, civic science or crowd-sourced science, volunteer monitoring

• Social science (science on society) to address properly social/societal dimensions that are attached to the whole long-term picture of GD governance

Holistic (complex) topics


2. INTERACTION WITH CIVIL SOCIETY

2. Safety culture and safety case review • How Safety Culture can be shared

‒ Several dimensions of the concept of safety culture ‒ A lot of commonalities

-> different words - the same meaning/understanding

• Identification of tools to enable experts and CS interactions along SCR ‒ Conditions and means for

public participation are being investigated

3. Intergenerational governance • review existing research case studies, and EU directives • identification of criteria and pathways addressing intergenerational issues of inclusive governance

along the operational phase of geological disposal ‒ Innovative multi-stakeholders evaluation process and tool,

allowing for a participative and comparative discussion of various scenarios of long term RWM which target passive safety at their end point


3. WAY FORWARD

SITEX-II SRA is being accounted for in the ongoing preparation of a future Joint Programming ‒ Through JOPRAD: “Towards a Joint Programming Project on Radioactive Waste Disposal”. ‒ Aiming at assesings the feasibility and, if appropriate, to generate a proposal for Joint

Programming (JP) in the field of Radioactive Waste Management, including geological disposal

SITEX-II workshop with International Organisations/Groups Target: autumn 2017 IAEA, NEA/OECD, WENRA, ETSON,

SNETP, IGD-TP, ENSREG, ENEN, etc

SITEX network to be launch next year (2017) In view of the JP proposal preparation Covering the different activities

of the Expertise Function

preparation starts !


This project has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014-2018 under grant agreement No 662152

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Co-funded by the

2. SITEX-II SRA

Exchange on practices,

develop common

positions

Develop states of the

art

Transfer knowledge

(eg. training,

tutoring…)

Main Topic 1: Waste inventory and source term

#1.Uncertainty about databases and methodologies used for defining waste

inventories (including historical waste)

#2. Evolution of the waste inventory due to possible neutron activation

#3.Understanding of the release processes and speciation of the radionuclides

for different types of wastes

#4. Waste acceptance criteria

SRA Main Topics and associated issues

Research activities

(experiment and/or

modelling works)

Horizontal activities

Documents

SITEX, THE EUROPEAN NETWORK OF TECHNICAL ......1. THE SITEX INITIATIVE SITEX stands for ‒Sustainable network for Independent Technical EXpertise of radioactive waste disposal •to